I’m as shocked and disgusted as I was last night when I heard. 2nd degree murder was likely a stretch but to acquit this guy from hunting down and killing this kid is an amazing injustice to the rest of us. Today I’m thinking about how to best prepare the kids around me to deal with this open season on them. Jay Smooth is reported to have said yesterday: “The fundamental danger of an acquittal is not riots, it’s more George Zimmermans.” Quite right. This from the Orlando Sentinal speaks for me:
But it’s worth remembering something that must send a chill down the spine of every parent of a black teenager in this country: Zimmerman was the architect of the events of that night.
Had he not disregarded the advice of a non-emergency police operator, gotten out of his car and followed the teenager, Martin would still be alive. Zimmerman was armed with a fully loaded semi-automatic pistol and two flashlights. Martin was on his way home from a 7-Eleven armed with a pack of Skittles, a watermelon-flavored Arizona Tea and a cellphone.
I found it appalling – though not surprising — when defense attorney Mark O’Mara showed jurors a chunk of concrete sidewalk in the courtroom on Friday and sneered at the idea that Martin was unarmed because, after all, he banged Zimmerman’s head into the sidewalk, and a sidewalk is a weapon.
Prosecutor John Guy told the jury in the state’s final argument Friday: “ This is not a case about ‘stand your ground.’ It’s a case about ‘stay in your car.’”
I’m reminded of the situation where Henry Louis Gates was confronting the cop who was illegally in his home — and how so very many people insisted that you follow the instructions of the cops. Clearly there is a double standard in this instruction (as I pointed out repeatedly). Because the thing that links these two events is that both Trayvon and Gates needed to prove their legitimacy in a way that isn’t asked for from white people.
I understand that there is the possibility of some civil legal actions against Zimmerman which I do hope happens. Much like the family of Nichole Simpson did.
Anyway — got something to say about this? Sound off below. Will put up a regular Open Thread later.